After
a long eight hours of labour, Te'a collapsed against the dressing table, breathing hard.
She heard Marik say something about it being a girl but she wasn't really listening. She
now had to concentrate on delivering the afterbirth and didn't much care about the damned
baby until she had it out.

"Messy
business isn't it, sister?" Marik said calmly, holding the bloody baby in his now
bloody arms, stained rouge. His white top was covered in mucus and blood as well. It
wasn't very pleasant to look at him. But he didn't seem to be bothered in the least by it,
he thumped the baby on her one foot until she took her breath in a loud squall and he
completely ignores Te'a who was struggling hard to get rid of the irritating afterbirth
when the urges to push had vanished.

"I
think I'll name her Slifer."

"What?!"
Te'a finally got the thing out and lay back, exhausted, "Why are you naming her after
a God Card? For Christ Sakes!"

Marik
ignored her and held the baby out in front of him, examining it with mild interest,
"It isn't deformed, nor does it look retarded. Though that can only be decided on
later on. If she is neither then it just shows how powerful we Yamis are."

Slifer's
crying got even louder, she waved her tiny arms and moved her hands through the air
helplessly, feeling cold and hungry.

"Check
it out, sister! She has my eyes! Look!" he shoved the baby toward her so she could
see. Indeed, the infant did have the same diamond shaped purple eyes as Marik had.

"I
always thought babies were born with blue eyes" Marik said

Te'a
was feeling distinctly grumpy now. She'd been through hell to deliver the dumb baby, she'd
had to go through it all with no professional help at all. Only to give birth to it on the
bathroom floor with her brother being able to see everything yet not even holding her hand
when things almost got too painful to bear. Now he was talking about it when she was
starting to get prickly pains in her abdomen from her uterus contracting back into shape.

Tenderly
almost, (especially for someone who'd been ready to slice open Te'a's stomach and kill the
baby) Marik put Slifer into the basin and ran lukewarm water and washed her with care.

"And
she has my hair and my nose and chin!" said Marik, sounding absolutely delighted.
Te'a looked up from her cramped space on the floor to stare at her big brother, who before
now had only been a destructive influence on her life. It was almost a miracle to see him
crooning over his only daughter.

* *
*

"Why
do you hate her so much Yami?" Yugi asked, lying on his bed and chewing on his
pencil. He frowned as he looked at the apparent figure of Yami, who was scowling at the
carpet as if it hurt him.

"All
her life, Te'a has done ... terrible things." Yami said softly, small tears glistened
in his eyes as he spoke, he turned away from Yugi "She didkill her mom, she tried to kill Marik right
afterward and she said it was because he was the guilty one. She's always blamed her
brother for things - ever since she was little. And when she killed her mother ... it was
just the last straw. I loved my mate very much, Yugi. More then anything."

"Why
do you think it's her? She could be telling the truth."

Yami
was silent. He looked at Yugi thoughtfully, "I know my daughter well enough to know
what a good liar she is. Trust me, Yugi. She did it."

"Yugi
baby? You up there?" came the voice of Mai

"Yeah,
Mai" he said tiredly, sinking down on his bed and rubbing at his sore temples.

Mai
came bouncing into his room, flipping her golden hair over her shoulder, "Yugi!
Yoooogi! Guess what? I have a date with your cute friend! Isn't that great?"

"Yeah"

* *
*

Slifer
was bundled up in Marik's arms, dressed in a pink blanket. She held her dainty little hand
up to your her father, trying to grab his fascinating splayed and puffy blonde hair in her
fingers. Cooing as she never did in Teas arms. Whenever she was placed in the
care of her mother, Slifer would begin to scream her head off and try to kick her.

Marik
grabbed Teas arm roughly and hauled her along, Come on, you lazy
bitch! We dont have all day to show our father our beautiful baby - do we?

Hell
hate you. Hell realise its your fault - brother

I
know that, Tea. Thats exactly what I want, I want him to realise all these
years hes blamed you. And how his foe is actually far more powerful than he thought.
If he doesnt become suicidal then, at least hell be an easier enemy to
handle.

She
looked up at him, shock registering in her eyes, You never planned to kill Slifer
then after all. That was just an empty threat and I should have run as fast as my legs
could carry me.

Oh
yes he agreed, Slifer was very important. But if you had defied me I would
have killed her as well.. She isnt so important really. I could give my father a
heart attack without her

Slifer
wriggled slightly, her purple eyes wide and playful. She tried to grab Mariks long
tresses of hair in her grubby little paws. But ceased when he impatiently batted them
away.

Dont
do this Marik. Let daddy live his life and leave him alone, please. Im begging you.
Yugi never did anything to you, and he never would. Youre his favourite. His
son.

Yes
- and pretty soon. The both of you are going to be locked in one of my caves with a
couple of gurus. And youll be begging to get out - just begging Tea!
Begging to be let out to see the sun again! And I will bring dear Slifer up without you.
She will be taught everything I know, and she will fight with fierce love for her dear
father and a viscous intent as I make her fight innocent people.

Tea
almost bolted. But found she just couldnt. She couldnt leave her father to the
fate she should share with him. Her father was the one person she loved above all. Even
her stupid daughter who wriggled and made a fuss when Tea tried to help her or feed
her.

Marik
didnt give Tea another chance to consider running away. Because all of a
sudden she felt his big hand curl around her frail wrist and clamp down on it tightly. Not
letting her go, but dragging her ruthlessly along after him.

* *
*

Yugi
looked up as the doorbell rang. Then he shoved Mai out of the way and ran downstairs. He
had a gleam in his eye as he reached out and yanked the door open. And there, standing now
in the pouring rain, was that strange Tea girl and a blonde boy that he didnt
recognise. The boy was holding onto a little baby wrapped in pink cloth. All Yugi could
see of it was its arms waving in the air and just the tip of its nose.

The
boy was clutching fiercely onto Te'a's wrist, as if he were afraid she was going to make a
run for it. She was looking up at him with a pleading gaze. Her dark blue eyes seemed
allot less cunning now. Now they were defeated and scared, more human than the last time
he'd seen her.

"You
must be Yugi Moto, the famous duellist" Marik said, smiling like a shark. He had no
hand to hold out for Yugi to shake, because one was holding the baby and the other one was
clutching tightly onto the girl.

"He
knows who I am" Te'a said, seemingly calm. But Yugi could see different, she was far
from her serene manner. Inside she was panicking. She widened her eyes when Yugi looked at
her - as if trying to give him a clue.

The
baby was making small noises, and almost a nanosecond later, Yugi had to endure a
warrior-screech from Mai when she saw it. He her blonde hair fly past him (with the rest
of her obviously) and she was making silly faces at the baby. Waggling her tongue in a
comical way.

This
did nothing to make Yugi's nerves any better. Te'a was still looking at him with her eyes
open.

Marik
pushed Mai off, so hard that she bounced off the wall and landed face first into the
grass, her blonde angled hair splaying out all over the ground. Her arms lying limply,
spread-eagled about her head. She didn't move.

"Hey!"
Yugi tried to get to Mai, but Marik grabbed his arm and yanked him back, and before Yugi
could retaliate, Yami Yugi had forced his way out. Disbelief set into his mind, his
diamond shaped eyes wide with horror as he stared at his son. He collapsed against the
wall, his hand clutched to his chest, clutching at the Puzzle. He didn't seem able to
breathe as his eyes roamed around from Te'a, to Marik, then lastly - they rested on
Slifer.

"You
..." he gasped, his large purple orbs for eyes filling with excruciating pain. His
breathing got even more rugged and laboured with absolute total shock. He fell to his
knees, gazing up at Marik, wincing so badly one would have thought the world had ended for
him.

"She
was telling the truth father" Marik said, cuddling Slifer to his chest, his manic
grin mutating his face into pure malicious evil. He sank down to his haunches and put his
hand under Yami Yugi's chin, lifting his face up till the dark purple eyes met his own
light purple eyes, "The baby is mine. And I destroyed mother, and you blamed Te'a for
all these years - how do you feel?"

Te'a
cringed when she saw the sparkle of tears in her father's eyes. He didn't bother to even
swipe Marik's hand away from under his chin, he didn't even seem to have the strength to
get to his feet or breathe for that matter.

Te'a
had Mai cradled in her arms, not being able to bear looking into his frozen face. He
lowered his eyes from Marik's piercing gaze to look at Te'a. She tried to give him an
encouraging and forgiving smile.

And
that's when the mental energy that Marik had drained so quickly came running back into
him. He reached up, grabbed Marik's wrist and threw him away from him.

Marik
stumbled but caught his balance faster than Yami Yugi had suspected, for his fist flew
into his father's face before the poor guy could react. And he felt his fragile jaw break
under the pressure. Pain flared up the sides of his face and the jaw hung at a wrong
angle.

Te'a
stared, but did nothing. Her mind had frozen and she did nothing else but watch as her big
brother just hit and punched her daddy. Yami Yugi was doing nothing to help himself, his
expression was as stunned as her own. He had no will, it was as if he were defeated, as if
he were dead.

As
if his soul was buried under an eternal heap of despair that Te'a couldn't help. She had
never been the joy in Yami Yugi's life. His little Marik, his son - had been everything to
him. She was nothing.

Marik
straightened up, shifting Slifer in his arms, he looked down at his father with disgust,
"You're pathetic, Pharaoh. You just can't stand being wrong. All these years, little
Te'a has been telling you the truth - you just didn't want to see it."

Yami
Yugi didn't answer, he looked crushed. He looked as if Marik had delivered the final blow
to his emotional energy. He looked like the world had suddenly fallen on his shoulders to
squish him mercilessly into a shadow of his former self.

"You
deserve everything you get, dad" Marik said coldly, staring down at him cruelly.

"No"
Te'a left Mai lying crudely in the dirt, her arms sprawled out above her face, lying on
her stomach. Her lips slightly partedand a
trickle of blood runningdown the wound on
her head and sweat rolling down her brow.

The
girl looked really pale and ill, but to Te'a, Yami Yugi was far more important then some
stupid airhead who'd just helped her to talk to Yugi Moto.

"Shut
up" her brother shifted Slifer up onto his shoulders. And she caught sight of her
daughter's eyes - which were wide open and seemed just as cold and cruel as her father's
were. The little girl stared Te'a down fiercely.

Yami
Yugi got painfully to his feet, wincing. But Te'a was sure that when he looked over to her
it was with more respect. And she was almost indignant. He'd better bloody well respect
her after all these years of having to shiver in the memory that her own dad didn't want
anything to do with her because of something Marik had done.

* *
*

Slifer
was six years old now. And she was like a female replica of Marik Ishtar. Her blonde hair
spiked up all the place just as his did. Her eyes were wickedly diamond shaped and pale
purple. She had his slanted pointy nose that tilted ever so slightly upward and his pointy
chin.

It
was almost as if Tea didnt make her, because Marik couldnt identify one
thing that belonged to Tea, except maybe her forehead, which was more sloped than
his was, and bigger. And to him, she was the most beautiful child in the world.

Here
she stood before him, such a small little thing with her eyes wide and innocent. Marik
would enjoy destroying that childish innocence in her and make her as evil and twisted as
he himself was.

He
fanned out all three God cards, looking at them with the same gloating satisfaction as he
had when hed thrown his defeated father into that cave with Tea. Then used his
power to seal away his only two family members left - besides Slifer.

Marik
ruled the world, it was simple. He didnt have to do anything but issue out orders
and watch the little runt humans follow them blindly.

After
years of trying, Marik had acquired all three God Cards and the Millennium Puzzle. And he
now had the power of the Pharaoh burning in his fingertips.

Daddy
Slifer murmured, getting down on her knees in a bow. Looking so humble and small at her
fathers feet, her blonde hair falling in her eyes. Her eyes just like Mariks
except for the fact that his callousness had not entered them as of yet. Only her spark of
light and goodness that had been roughly handled and controlled by him all her life.

She
was the princess of the world, or so he liked to call her. And she was going to be
beautiful when she grew up. And powerful too, if she ever learned to be less submissive
and fight for things instead of crumbling before him, tears streaming down her pale face.

He
looked down at her coldly, lying there with her nose almost touching in the floor in her
desperate attempt to show him respect and get the love shed wanted all her life.

She
wore simple clothing. Nothing elaborate or intricate. She was a simple girl, and
didnt deserve anything until she could prove her full potential to Marik. And as of
yet, shed shown none of the special Yami traits that she was supposed to have.

Slifer
wore ragged cut off jeans and a dusty white short-sleeved shirt that was so torn and holy
that it might have been better if shed just not bothered to put it on.

An
orange bandanna kept the majority of her hair out of her face, though it made it even more
spiky and messy than before. Splaying it out worse than a Christmas tree.

Her
feet bore dirty sneakers that had a hole right in the front, showing the blackness of one
of the woolly socks she wore underneath it.

Marik
got up from his throne (his preferred way of showing who he was) and sank down to his
haunches, staring down at his daughter with little emotion.

Good
girl he whispered, You reported to me on time this time. But, of course you
knew the punishment to it if you didnt

She
twitched, but didnt let a flicker of her feelings show on her bruised and beaten
face. She just stared at him with those wide scared eyes that made him think of a scared
version of himself Which he didnt like seeing.

Yes,
the evidence of yesterdays lateness. That was shown all over her legs. Long whip
marks, most of them bleeding slightly from every movement she made. When she had to walk
stiffly into the room, trying not to limp. Knowing that any sign of weakness brought down
the wrath of Marik Ishtar - the ruler of the world.

Yes,
sir she said, getting painfully to her feet, careful not to break eye-contact with
him (another sign of weakness) and not to let a wince distort her features. The
whip-wounds hurt badly, twinged every time she did anything. But that didnt mean she
wasnt supposed to bear it.

How
were your lessons today?

They
were good, sir she said monotonously, having said the very same thing every day
since she was three years old.

And
just then, Mai Valentine walked in. And oh how the years had changed her. She was not the
light-hearted person shed once been, didnt hug people anymore, didnt
sing in the shower, didnt do anything that marked her as really alive.

She
wore a silky, see through opaque pink dress, tied at the middle with a purple sash. Her
hair was tied back in a controlled plait and every tuft of hair was tucked and pinned
away, making her seem orderly and strict when in fact she was exactly the opposite.

She
wore nothing on her feet but jewellery which jangled around her ankle as she walked.

Mai
Valentine was now almost 24 years old, and she didnt look anything like she did when
shed been seventeen.

Her
eyes were still their vivid colour, and very pretty. But they lacked sparkle. They
didnt have the spirit and life and defiance theyd had before.

A
see-through white veil went across her nose and ended at her chin. Just giving a hint of
the features underneath.

Her
pale slim and frail arms carried a tray with some sort of tea in the heaviest golden
pitcher in Mariks palace (yes, he now lived in a palace - lucky bastard) and her
arms trembled under the weight.

Ahhh
 he sighed, rising to his feet and leaving his daughter to shiver on the
ground. Thank you, my dear. He didnt reach out for the tray, but let Mai
struggle with it, mild interest flickered in his eyes.

But
Mai wasnt defeated. Not yet anyway.

Sure,
Marik had tried to beat submission into her for six years, even by using that damned
Millennium Rod against her, duelling her in the shadow realm where everything was real and
she was too dispirited to fight back properly, so she had to endure the pain of it before
Marik would surrender the duel just to save her from the enveloping Shadow Ream.

Still
it hurt. And it always hurt, but Mai had always been a fighter. Even if shed been
temporarily put out of action.

She
still lost her temper every now and again. Just to show her master that he wasnt in
full control of her. No matter how he liked to think so.

Today
was one of those days.

After
trying fruitlessly to find a place to set the goddamned tray. Mai gave up and her vacant
eyes suddenly flared with that old defiance and indignation. She hurled the thing at the
wall, where the gold pitcher spilled its contents all over the marble floor.

Slifer
gasped, pushing her small body against the wall, as if trying to make herself invisible.
Her eyes wide with fright at the rage her daddy would be in now. He hated it when one of
his slaves didnt do as was proper, and could take it out on her at the end of the
day.

She
loved her father, no matter what he did to her. She would always try to do as he asked of
her. Even at such a tender young age.

Mai!
Mariks voice whipped through the air like a pistol shot. And indeed, when Slifer
dared to look over at him, he was smouldering in fury. His diamond shaped eyes narrowed
down to slits, his gorgeous hair seemed to crackle with electricity.

But
Mai was beyond reproach, her own eyes were blazing with hatred. She hated Marik, hed
taken everything that was important to her away.

Yugi
Moto, trapped inside Yami Yugis body, never to be able to be free from that cave.
Mai missed him so much it was like a constant ache.

Her
life, her parents, her dreams for the future. All gone. All gone because one man had to be
powerful. Had to have the power of the Pharaoh. Had to be better than everyone else.

F-fuck
you! she was trembling in anger, furious tears of hate sparkled in her eyes,
Im sick of doing your orders! Theres no more use for me here! You might
as well terminate me, Pharaoh!

Slifer
watched in horror as Marik stormed over to the disobedient servant and grabbed her by the
arm, jerking her firmly up against the wall. His teeth bared.

And
yet there was no reaction of terror as he was used to from Valentine. She didnt
flinch, didnt lower her gaze respectfully, but stared him down like a vulture.

Normally
when he attacked her this way, shed tremble and beg forgiveness, saying that she
must have temporarily lost her mind.

But
not this time.

Mai
was no longer a sick little servant puppy, no more would she obey the Pharaoh like some
sick dog. Max would be so ashamed of her if hed still been alive.

But
Maximillian Pegafag was no longer in the world. And she missed him too. Hed only
been her boyfriend for a brief while before hed been one of the millions to die. One
of the millions who were not scared to defy their new Pharaoh.

But
Mai had been petrified of death. Had shaken Max off when he tried to convince her to go
with him to his death. Shed chosen, if not the easier route, the less fearsome one.
And how she regretted it. Shed convinced herself that she was strong and thats
why she took Mariks constant abuse. But now, she saw that her horror at the thought
of death had just been more than that of her lonely and dangerous life.

Marik
slapped her across the mouth, and still the usual reaction did not make itself apparent.

Tears
rolled down her face. But not tears of fear, nor of anger. But of hopelessness and
despair.

Oh,
who could understand what it was like to be her if they werent her? To have
everything solid crumble beneath your feet. To be controlled. To have to be constantly
respectful, always conforming to the restraining laws that bound her dreams and made her
no one.

Kill
me then she said in a deadly whisper, I dare you Pharaoh. Im no longer
afraid of death. So why dont you stop being a coward and just do it! Kill
me!

Mariks
frown disappeared, much to Slifers surprise. And was replaced with his usual smirk.
He leant forward close to her so she could smell his strong masculine breath and feel it
too, just as Tea had had to do all those years ago, when she still had some sort of
freedom.

I
know what youre doing, my dear he said, grabbing her by the shoulders and
forcing her up against the wall, You want to get me so angry that I kill you
quickly, that I kill you painlessly and just get your miserable pathetic life over and
done with. Sorry, my sweet - but its not going to work. Youre my slave, and
thats what youre always going to be.

Slifer
felt torn in two as she watched. On the one hand, she loved her father more than anything
in the world and would support him no matter what he did. But on the other hand,
shed known Miss Valentine since she was a baby, and the woman had been there for her
when precious daddy wasnt. Mai had given Slifer the most normal childhood possible.
Tried to show her that love was not just cold and loveless as shed grown up to
believe.

She
wanted to beg her father to spare Miss Valentine. But Marik hated his daughter to beg.
From anyone else, begging was delightful, but from Slifer, begging was another sign of
weakness. And he couldnt stand it.

Slifer
was supposed to follow in his footsteps, not be a little runt who whined to get what she
wanted. She had to learn to stand up to him.

Eventually,
Mai grew still in Mariks grip. Breathing hard, she allowed a few strands of hair
that had loosened to fall in her face, covering her red-rimmed eyes.

Please
she breathed.

Please
what?

Please
end it. If you dont then Ill refuse to follow your orders.
Ill never do as you ask. Ill always defy you. I can no longer be your
servant.

She
reached out a hand and tore off the veil, exposing her face to him. Then she threw it to
the ground, showing him without a doubt that she truly believed she wasnt going to
be an object of his to own.

Be
reasonable princess he said, still in that dangerously low voice, Do as
youre supposed to do, and I might just forget this little tantrum

Fuck
you she arched her back and spat in his eye, just the same way Tea had done so
many times when Marik had had her helpless. It had been the only way left to save her
dignity.

And
thats when the barely controlled rage bubbling inside him exploded. No, he
didnt kill her. But he packed her such a wallop to her face that she fell over to
the side, whimpering in pain but by no means defeated yet.

You
worthless CUNT! he stormed, kicking her in the stomach twice with a hard
metal-capped boot, watching with his anger only slightly mollified as she curled up into a
ball, wheezing and gasping for breath like a fish out of water.

He
wiped the spit out of his eye and flicked it at the ground. Watching as she coughed,
barely able to suck air in, only able to breathe it out and not get it back in her burning
lungs. Drool slipped unnoticed down her lower lip as she clutched her belly and prayed for
everything to end.

Yes,
it hurts - doesnt it? he taunted, placing his boot on her long thin fingers,
lowering his weight onto it and crushing them. He heard some of the bones break,
Thisll hurt even more. And this is what happens when you defy me.

When
she finally gasped in a load of air, she let it out again in a scream. A scream so
agonised that it chilled Slifer to the bone. She wanted dearly to help the poor woman, but
didnt want to go against her fathers wishes.

So
she just watched, her gut tightening with disgust and pity and horror. And if one had
looked really closely at her light purple eyes, they might have seen how they paled to an
even lighter purple and seemed to sink deeper into her face as she watched her father do
what he did best.

Mais
vision blurred as involuntary tears came to her eyes. She had to bite her lip hard to stop
the shrill wail from issuing from her throat. But her features were contorted with pain as
Marik continued to bear down on her fragile fingers with the full weight of his body
wearing his metal-capped leather boots.

Beg
for my mercy he said coldly,Beg
and I may forgive you. Remain silent and you will be put through more pain than
youve been put through in your life.

But
Mai Valentine had had enough. And if death was now the only option she had to get to
freedom, then she'd suffer for it. Maybe she'd even see Max again. Or her parents,
depending on whether they were alive or not.

Either
way, she wanted to get out. Marik might put her through agony in order to do it. But she
would endure it with as much pride and silence as she could.

<All
I wanted to say was I love you and Im not afraid> her mind garbled at her, and
she closed her eyes, sweat gathering in little dots on her brow and rolling down the
bridge of her nose as she rested her tired forehead against the floor.

<Pain!>
her mind shrieked at her in a bright flash of red, <Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain!>

And
then it didnt even come out as a word, just as a panic signal <!!!! !!!! !!!!
!!!!> but still she bore it. Gritted her teeth as silence surrounded her. She was
determined not to utter one sound of protest from now until her death. Max would be proud
of her. Finally giving in to death and being free.

She
cringed at the memory of how shed submissively bowed down to Marik Ishtars
every whim. Done as he asked, served him like she was nothing more than a worthless slave.

But
not anymore.

She
was going to be free.

Marik
finally eased the pressure off her delicate and highly breakable hand. And she breathed
out in relief. Steeling herself for the next bout of pain.

She
didnt want to die. But she felt death surrounding her in the stink of what she felt
was defeat. Or it would be defeat if she gave in. Right now it was just potential defeat,
and she would not give in. For Maxs sake. For Yugis sake.

Her
eyes dulled even more at the memory of Yugi Motos sweet smiling face. Hed been
such a na´ve person, but also self-sacrificing, loving, helpful, open and honest.

Hed
been the best friend Mai had ever had.

And
now he was worse than dead.

Give
up?

Shepulled herself up, resting the side of her weight
on her uninjured hand. She gasped in a breath, leant her head briefly against the wall,
then straightened up and spat at his feet.

She
clutched at her side, gazing up at his now extremely murderous face. He was obviously
trying to stop himself from killing her straight away.

Marik
was good at delivering pain. All kinds, emotional, physical, mental. And he wasnt
going to give up this good opportunity to destroy someone. Since no one had dared defy him
after his first year as Pharaoh.

You
dont want to die, sweetheart.

Sweat
slid down the length of her nose and onto her upper lip. She was shivering all over and
cradling her hurt hand at her side. Her eyes fevered and hurt. A tortured soul looked out
at him.

But
she didnt say a word, she just stared into his face. Her face resigned to whatever
fate had to deal out to her. She didnt want to live, and yet she was so scared of
death that it was taking all of her resolve not to crumple at his feet, grovelling and
sobbing.

Slifers
hand flew to her mouth, she backed away from the both of them. Tears threatening but not
flowing. She looked down at her whip-wounds that would probably leave long white scars
once they were healed. They looked so minor compared to what was happening to Miss
Valentine. Sure theyd hurt, but she hadnt had her small fingers broken.

<Daddy!>
the thought of her dad doing that to her was unbearable. Yet deep down, Slifer knew that
he was perfectly capable of serenely killing her. Even though she loved him so much it
hurt.

Twinkly
lights burst into Mais line of sight. And she thought distantly about how pretty
they were. Maybe she was in heaven?

<Dont
be stu- no heaven- pid>

Marik knelt down, brought her chin up.

He
kissed her passionately. Savouring the fear, he could almost smell it. Mai Valentine was
the most fun woman hed ever had in a long time. Most cried and whimpered and got so
very boring. But she had so much pride, so much dignity, it would be so intense when he
finally cracked her. When he had her bawling like an infant and begging for forgiveness
that she couldnt have.

He
broke the kiss finally, to see her expression. Her eyes may be slightly out of focus, but
her expression was so delicious. He could have eaten it.

Both
panicked yet at the same time, oddly calm and accepting. Small tears of failure ran down
her death white face. She looked as if she were already dead.

Then,
before he could start some real pain on her, he heard a soft voice from the corner and
turned to look at his six year old daughter standing there in her ragged clothes, her
blonde hair spilling over her orange bandanna. She looked unreal, Marik could have laughed
at her.

Daddy,
no

What?

Dont

Dont
what? he grinned evilly, the bloodthirsty smile spreading over his cheeks.

Please.

Then
he was striding across the room toward the little girl, he picked her up in his arms even
though she was getting a little heavy, he said Please what, sweetie?

Dont
hurt Miss Valentine, daddy. Shes not in her right mind. Slifer looked
up hopefully into his eyes so like her own, only a shade darker, and knew by his barbaric
expression that it was hopeless. Hed never do it. Not for her.

You
dont want daddy to hurt naughty Miss Valentine? he said in a mock baby voice.
And it was this that told Slifer that he was flaming mad at her. And suddenly she wished
shed never said anything at all.

<Miss
Valentine always stuck up for you when daddy was so very, very mad at me>

Daddy
her voice quavered but grew stronger, she tried to be nasty like him but didnt like
the sound of them coming from her mouth, Dont be an asshole, dad. Shes
just a slave. Why are you getting so worked up over someone so low? Maybe you dont
deserve to be Pharaoh anymore.

She
felt him go all stiff, and suddenly realised that trying to be nasty like him wasnt
the right tactic to choose unless she had the sufficient strength to back it up. And she
was only six, and her self resolve wasnt developed enough to convince her that she
could do this. That she could stand up to her father.

Her
dad was still someone she held in awe. She didnt want to disagree with him.

"Sliferrr
..." Marik hissed, just like he did when he was very very angry. It sent chills down
her spine. Her face must have looked stricken because when he looked into it, he seemed to
become even more furious.

Mai
Valentine didn't have the strength to get to her feet, she was trying to cut her wrists by
sliding them down the wall roughly. trying to nick it on an uneven edge.

All
she was doing was causing herself unnecessary pain and making her wrists raw and sore
looking. Slifer stared out at her from her daddy's arms. Biting her lip anxiously.

"I'm
sorry daddy" she said, lowering her eyes to the spotless marble floor. She tried to
swipe away a piece of straw coloured hair but it just fell back into her face again.

With
a sudden force, he threw his daughter to the floor. And it was so shiny that she went
skidding straight across it at full speed, only stopping when her head crashed against the
wall, causing bright lances of pain to sent bright circles dancing in her eyes.

"Get
up!" Marik shouted at her, towering way above her height, a tic shuddering over his
left eye as fury allowed him to get into his stride.

Slifer
tried to get up, but her head whirled with dizziness and she had to fall against the wall,
leaning heavily against it and trying to breathe.

"You're
pathetic!" he slapped her face hard, a trickle of blood escaped the corner of her
mouth.

Mai's
eyes sharpened slightly as she looked apon the fully grown man beating apon his small
frail daughter, cowering at his feet. Shaking all over.

She
looked wildly around her for a weapon, any weapon, to use against the bastard.

The
golden tray was the only thing she could see. It was heavy enough ... maybe a good
crashing over his head would give her enough time to save Slifer and get the poor child
out of here before the deranged Yami stole her life away from her forever.

If
she succeeded in knocking him out. She would take the Puzzle away from him, and snatch the
God Cards too - for good measure. Then maybe she'd have a reason to live, and feel proud
of herself because she'd fought for the freedom not only for herself, but for the entire
Earth.

<Come
on! Get up!>

<It
hurts so bad oh it hurts oh momma it hurts>

<Naff
your fingers! Go help that kid!>

Mai
blindly reached for the table and gripped on it with the hand that wasn't wounded. Her
vision was doubled and she had to figure out whether the tray was to her left or to her
right. Or if her mind was totally mistaken and it was actually in the middle.

She
watched blandly as Marik forced his daughter up against the wall, no even allowing her
much space to breathe. His nose was an inch from Slifer's, and he was talking slowly and
carefully, as if he were afraid that if he spoke any faster, he would lose it completely
and just strangle the child.

She
couldn't hear what he was saying, because it was just too much effort. It took most of her
effort just to keep from passing out. Never mind concentrating on the conversation of a
maniac.

She
was now on her knees, and reaching out for the tray, hearing Marik still whispering curses
at Slifer.

<The
poor kid the poor thing she's only a little girl oh how can he do that to her he's such a
maniac>

Her
mind was panicking. She felt sure that at any moment Marik would turn around and catch
her. He'd be sure to kill her then.

And
Mai suddenly realised that she didn't want to die. She wanted to fight. Hadn't it always
been her dream to be a warrior? Well, now was her chance. She had to do everything in her
power to right the world again. Just as Yami Yugi had always done in the past with Yugi
Moto's help.

<Do
it, grab it>

Her
fingers brushed against the tray. And Mai fell forward onto her stomach, knocking out her
air with her fingertips just millimetres away from the weapon she intended to use in order
to de-brain Marik.

<Don't
worry about air! Get the tray!>

She
winced as she stretched herself forward as far as she could go. Shuddering with lack of
oxygen and trying to gasp it in while making as little noise as possible. She had to do
it.

She
couldn't concentrate on what Marik was doing now. All her focus was single mindedly on
that tray. It seemed so funny that an implement that she held nearly every day of her life
would now be so far out of her reach.

She
gripped the handle.

<Yes!>

Pulled
the tray toward her.

<Oh
yes!>

And
that was when her mind went totally blank. Her eyes lost their pupils and were vacant and
unseeing. All worries lifted from her head, everything was a big black infinite of her
mind. And yet nothing at the same time.

She
slumped on the floor, pain no longer apparent to her, nothing apparent to her.

She
was outside the control of her own body, and only in a dim corner was the real mind of Mai
Valentine. Weak and unable to fight against the Millennium Rod.

"You
just don't give up do you?" Marik whispered, the Rod still pointed at her head as he
controlled her mind, his right hand was clutching on the collar of Slifer's white shirt so
that her face was turning blue. He'd hauled her up into the air and now she was just
suspended there, helpless.

Marik
snapped his fingers loudly, and a human Guru came running in. His face concealed by the
hood of his cloak, which bore the Sacred Egyptian Eye.

The
guru bowed down at Marik's feet and said nothing. His eyes shone down toward the floor,
dull green in colour and yet so dead. The dead eyes that seemed to belong to most of
Marik's personal servants.

"Take
that wretched creature out of my sight and chain her up" Marik said imperiously,
tucking the Millennium Rod back into his belt, "I will deal with her later."

The
Guru picked Mai up as easily as if she were a rag-doll. She stared at Marik blandly, her
expression blank and impassive. She slumped against the man's chest without a care in the
world.

Nothing
mattered to her until her mind was set free of the control Marik had placed apon it.

When
she disappeared out of the room, Marik turned back to his cowering daughter with disgust.
His pale purple eyes studying her seriously. He said in a tremulous voice, "If you
don't learn how to behave like a properEarth
Princess - I will disown you and you will be thrown out onto the streets with nothing!

The
pain in her eyes got to him. No matter what, Slifer was the daughter of his heart - and
he'd do everything in his power to turn her into a true EP. He'd stake his life on the
line to do so.

* *
*

Slifer almost crawled to
her room, wincing every time one of the palace guards looked at her. She was terrified of
going to her room and having to face The Man.

The Man was her tutor, and
she had to treat him with respect. His name was Seto Kaiba - boastfully bisexual and one
of the most fearsome people she knew.

He had piercing sapphire
blue eyes, narrowed down to diamond slits whenever he saw her. He had a pointed, long,
straight nose and a thin mean mouth.

He held authority on his
shoulders. And just by the way he walked, one could tell that he was important. The EP's
tutor, high ranked and rich.

His velvet brown hair often
fell into his eyes. his shoulders were held straight.

Yet the most fascinating
thing about him was his trench-coat, which swirled enchantingly around his ankles wherever
he walked. And carrying that briefcase that sometimes was a briefcase and sometimes was a
computer made to look like a briefcase.

His little brother was a
nice guy. About seventeen years old now. He had a wild spiky mane of hair that went all
the way down to his backside. And big innocent eyes that looked permanently surprised.

His name was Mokuba Kaiba,
and he was the nicest guy Slifer had ever been allowed to meet. Sometimes, when he could
get away with it - he helped her with her homework.

So different from his big
grumpy brother who was in his middle twenties and very sour for it.

Mokuba had often told her
that this was because Seto had once owned a huge enterprise called KaibaCorp, and he'd had
to lose it to Marik's will. He hated it bitterly, even though he was still high ranked.

Slifer's small, skinny
frame went shuffling reluctantly down the corridor. She looked terrified over having to
see Seto again, and dearly wanted to be held in Mai's arms and comforted just as the woman
had done three years ago, when Slifer had been half the age she'd been now.

<Maybe The Man won't be
there.> her mind thought hopefully, as the door that lead to her bedroom door came
closer and closer to her, as if it were walking towards her and not her towards it.

But Seto was there, typing
really fast on his computer and frowning. His sapphire eyes narrowed down to slits as he
concentrated on the screen. As clever as he was, he was really the best person to teach
the EP her lessons. For Slifer had to be an intelligent person in order to help her father
rule the world when she got older.

And Seto Kaiba was the best
person to teach her this.

Slifer crept up to her bed
and crawled onto it, knowing that when he finally did notice her, he'd take out his
frustrating life on her and berate her for some misdemeanour that she'd done. But when he
ignored her presence she stood up and made her way to her own bedroom door, carefully
treading in case Seto should change his mind.

She wrapped her fingers
around the knob of the door handle to her room and pushed it open. And stood in the
doorway to her simple room.

The bed was covered by
white coverings, that she had to change every three days so that they stayed white and
showed that she was a still an innocent little girl.

A dressing table and a
chest of drawers stood next to it, and on the right next to the only furniture she
possessed was a door leading to her simple bathroom.

She walked into the middle
of the room and got down to her knees, searching under her bed for all her most precious
items that she looked at almost all the time.

She pulled them all out and
stared at them. One was her diary, written in Japanese instead of English because it was
the one language she'd been taught that her father couldn't speak very well. She'd been
writing in it only a year now. Since Mokuba had given it to her for her 5th birthday.

She rubbed the shiny cover
and opened it. Filled with small writing in almost perfect cursive. Seto would have her
write no other way. And in a way she was grateful for it, it looked so nice and fancy
rather than the big print letters she'd written in when she first learnt to write.

Then she put it to her
side. She didn't want to write in it yet because that meant reliving what happened to Mai.
And she didn't want to think about that.

Next she wrapped her small
hand around something Mokuba had given her about a year ago. It was the most valuable
thing she owned. A golden statue of Osiris, grandson of the Sun God, Ra. And Osiris had
his arms wrapped around his sister, Isis. The two were so entwined with one another that
at first glance you could mistake them for one being.

Slifer knew all about
Egyptian Gods. Not the God Cards specifically. But real Egyptian Gods that the cards were
named after.

There was Ra, the ultimate
male God. Then there was Hathor, otherwise known as Sakhemet. Hathor was the God that most
female Egyptian people worshipped and gave offerings in order to help with fertility.

Then Ra's daughter, Nut had
married someone her father disapproved of. So he placed a curse on her that said she could
not have any children on any day of the year.

But another God, who was
also secretly in love with Nut, he made 5 extra days of the year. And it was on those five
days that Nut had five children.

The first was Osiris, then
another boy Slifer always forgot the name of, then Seth, then Isis, then another God that
Slifer had forgotten.

It was Mokuba who taught
her everything about Egyptian Gods, because he'd always been interested in everything to
do with Ancient Egypt.

Seto had never even touched
apon the subject. He didn't hold with such nonsense.

Slifer slid onto her bed
and placed the statue on her chest of drawers so she could look at it a little longer. Her
eyes were round and shining. She loved Mokuba for everything he'd ever done for her. He
was the best friend she ever had.

The door burst open just as
Slifer was getting nicely into a good daydream about how nice it would have been if Mai
and Mokuba were her parents. And how nice her life would have been then. Different.

"Sly!"

The Man was staring angrily
at her lounging on her bed. His eyes seemed to crackle with electricity.

She immediately scrambled
up clumsily onto her feet and bowed her head respectfully, "Sir?"

"Look at those dirty
clothes!" he snarled, his pointed nose crinkled in disgust, "The Pharaoh would
kill me if he knew I let you do that! Now with the slightest hint of fear in his voice,
"So, Sly, please just go and have a bath and change before we have dinner with your
dad."

"Sir" she agreed,
then, "But what must I wear?"

"Anything clean"
he responded. Then he hesitated at the door for a few more seconds, his eyes tired and
sad. Sometimes she just felt sorry for The Man. Maybe he was just stressed like daddy was.
Maybe he wasn't so bad.

That might be why he took
out his frustrations on something as trivial as her clothes.

"Yessir" she said
quickly, "I have lots of clothes to wear. Don't worry about it."

He nodded, and Slifer was
sure he almost gave her the hint of a fond smile.

Maybe he really was a nice
guy like Mokuba after all. After all, he had known her for nearly six years.

She watched as he closed
the door. Then hurriedly stripped of all her clothes. She was glad to be rid of them
anyway. The only piece of clothing she was never without was a bandanna of some sort. If
she didn't have one, her hair went all over the place, like a damned Christmas tree.

Stepping into her bathroom,
she turned the faucets on full blast because she was impatient to get into the warm water.
Shivering, she looked at her bedraggled form in the mirror. Her pale face with the pointy
chin and nose, the eyes that were just like Marik's except that they were still such kind,
sweet, childish eyes that she might not possess for long. Soon, when her mind had been
warped enough, they might turn into eyes of steel, cold merciless eyes just like daddy
had.

She rubbed her nose and
looked around her, down to her bare feet. She giggled when she watched her toes wiggling
merrily up at her as if saying hello. One thing you could say about toes was that they
were always there when you wanted to look at them. As if they were saying hi.

She peered into the mirror
again, at the bruise smudged across her eye. Then the scratches she's sustained across her
cheeks from when Marik was in a particular temper.

She sighed, and looked back
at the bath, which was still filling up. If her life continued like this, she'd be really
ugly looking when she grew up.

Her hair was in bad need of
a wash. So she planned to wash it now, when she got in the bath. Her hair spilled over her
shoulders, all light blonde and sticking up all over the place. She wished it was more
like Miss. Mai's hair. Deep honey blonde and angled. Totally beautiful when left alone.

Slifer felt slightly sick
when she remembered what had happened to Mai. And clutched her stomach desperately,
falling to her knees and gagging. Her face even whiter than it had been before.

Daddy always said that when
she was thirteen, she'd be able to wear clothes just like all the princess's did in book.
But until then, he wanted to teach her what it felt like to be low and disrespected.

Slifer got up slowly and
shakily. Still feeling weak.

<I have to mean and cold
if daddy has to like me>

<But ... but ...>

<Do it!>

She put one foot in the
bath-water and hissed in a small breath at the heat of it. Then sank slowly into it, right
up to her nose, allowing the water to glide up her eyes, looking up at the ceiling from
the distorted view from underwater. Breathing through her nose and allowing her mind to
drift just like she liked to do. Her favourite part of the day in her eventful life.

She liked the peaceful time
she could spend alone in the bath.

<I have to be mean ...
just not to daddy>

<How? How? I don't know
how!>

<Copy daddy. He'll be
proud of me for once>

She squeezed her eyes shut
in an attempt to stop the awful and inevitable concept that she had to do what daddy
wanted her to do. She was the EP, and as daddy always told her, she was stronger than the
average human being.

So she would face this. She
would do fine.

* * *

Mai crouched in the corner
of the dungeon, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes red from crying, still dressed
in her immodest servant's clothing. She longed for Maximillian Pegasus, she knew he was
way older than her ... but still she wanted him back with her. She couldn't do this on her
own.

The door opened, and Slifer
came in. Her clothes still just as simple as ever they'd been. A short-sleeved dress,
off-white in colour and tied around her waist with a black sash. Her hair had another of
those bandanna's around it, a blue one, that kept all hair out of her face.

The little girl bore a whip
in her hands, and her face was determinedly blank. But when Mai looked deep into her eyes,
she saw self-disgust and fear.

But Mai was more worried as
to why the girl was carrying a whip than anything else. And why Marik was behind her,
bearing a smirk and watching his daughter as she reluctantly walked toward Mai.

"You disobeyed the
Pharaoh" Slifer said coldly, but shakily. Her voice was dull, as if she were reciting
lines she'd learnt.

"Sly, honey, I'm your
friend ..." Mai looked imploringly at her.

"Disobeying the
Pharaoh is strongly prohibited, especially to - to lowly servants"

"Sly, please -"

"You shall be severely
punished for this act of disobedience" Slifer said, still sounding like she'd learnt
the words off by heart.

Mai gaped in horror. Had
the girl been made into a Mind Slave?

But no, Slifer's pupils
were still intact and her eyes very much alive though dull. The girl was doing this of her
own free will.

She unravelled the whip. It
was a willowstitch whip, and Mai had been hit with all kinds of things so she knew
willowstitch didn't hurt as much as other kinds. But still, getting punished was never
something Mai relished.

<I must be strong, I
must fight, even if it takes years!>

Mai pulled her dress up
over her head and bowed down before Marik with her bare back exposed to Slifer. If it was
a servant's will, they could leave their clothes on. But then they'd just get shredded by
the whip and they couldn't get new ones.

Marik looked down at Mai,
with her lovely hair falling down in front of her forehead and trailing on the floor, her
eyes fixed on him and showing no defiance. Because any defiance displayed would bring down
ten extra whip lashes.

He grinned at her. How he
loved to see people bowing down before him as that damned Yami Yugi had always refused to
do.

Slifer raised the whip
above her head, trembling all over. Her eyes weak and pained. She didn't want to hurt Miss
Mai. Oh no, not at all. Mai'd been her friend for years, had helped and protected her, and
even given her food when she was starving.

But Slifer was an EP, and
she couldn't afford to let weakness drag her down. Daddy had told her that countless
times.

Mai lowered her gaze away
from Marik's. Remembering the painful memory of losing her duel against him all those
years ago, and having been shut up in the Shadow Realm till Joey and his boyfriend Kaiba,
had rescued her, or had tried to. It was really Yami Yugi who'd defeated both Marik and
Kaiba and saved her from eternalation in the Shadow Realm.

Then the whip bore down
apon her as Slifer lashed out, biting into her skin from her ankle all the way to her
neck. Mai cried out, though she didn't really mean to. She'd been planning to be just how
Seto Kaiba was when he got whipped, cold and unfeeling, determined not to let Marik know
how he felt.

Arching her back in pain,
she landed back down hard on her chin. And spat out blood on the floor, satisfied when
some of it landed on Marik's shoe. Her eyes watered with pain and she curled her hands
into fists. Willing herself to take the rest of this in silence.

She never had taken it in
silence before. She's always cried and screamed and got very pathetic, much to the disgust
of Seto Kaiba, who thought her to be weak.

And she saw Kaiba behind
Marik, looking at her with that same withering glance he always gave her. And it made her
grit her teeth in determination to make no sound. But when the next whiplash came down
from Slifer, she didn't quite manage it in total silence. She didn't cry out as she used
to, but a small whimper forced itself from her lips as fiery pain slithered its way down
her spine.

She gasped in a new breath
and blood drooled down her chin. Her bandaged fingers hurt from clenching her hand so hard
and bright colours danced in front of her eyes. The pain was bright and horrible, Mai just
wanted it to be over.

Tears found their way down
her cheeks as the third lash was sent right down the length of her spine perfectly. She
looked up at Kaiba through blurry vision, her gaze pained and almost defeated.

But Seto saw a new element
to her eyes. She wasn't as willing to give in now. She had the fire of a warrior in those
eyes. Although they were still hurt and scared, they were far more determined than they
were the last time Seto had seen her.

As for Slifer, she found
that this wasn't as bad as she'd thought it was going to be. In fact, she found she almost
had a talent for it. She could get the lashings across the same place nearly every single
time, and could wait for the pain of the last lash to get to its peak before whipping her
again.

Fierce enjoyment entered
her eyes. Who cared if Miss Mai was her friend? She was powerful, she could control this
woman's pain to whatever level she wanted to. She was in total control and was free to do
to Mai whatever she wished.

Her pale purple eyes
clouded somewhat with some of the evil her dad possessed in his eyes. The cruel merciless
gaze of Marik forced themselves down out from her murderous glare, as if her father lived
within herself.

There was a spark of
innocence still inside her, but with the first few dosages of pain she'd planted about
Mai's shoulders had brought unto her a change. A viscous change. She found she knew why
daddy liked to hurt people so much.

She liked it herself.

Who needed friends when
they had power like this?

Marik stared at his
daughter as she delivered the fourth lash across almost exactly the same place as she had
the last time.

<Yes, she certainly
looks different> he thought, seeing her smirk of pleasure,<Maybe it's okay to give her extra privileges
... maybe I could get her some better clothes and move her into a bigger room ...>

<Don't go too fast,
she's not entirely the way you want her yet>

Mai endured the next thirty
whiplashes across her skin with silence. But her lip was now bleeding hard from the rough
way she'd been biting it. She thought she was going topass out from pain, and wished that she would.

But the part of her that
wasn't consumed by pain was filled with savage pride. She was going to do this. She was
getting through the pain even though she could feel blood slithering down her legs and
spine. A part of her was proud of the fact that she was at last standing up to Marik's
will, however feeble she may be.

She was still doing it. And
that was much better than her submissive ways that she'd adopted out of fear of her
Pharaoh.

<Oh, Max would be so
proud ...> her eyes watered, not with tears or pain, but with happiness. She wasfinally worth something more than the accepting
slave she'd been for so long.

She raised her head
defiantly to look up at Marik, seeing his splayed blonde hair that was just as brutal as
his daughter's was. A blonde Christmas tree shape of hair. And those pure evil and wicked
purple eyes that sometimes had a pupil and sometimes didn't. It depended on his mood
really.

When Mai had counted up to
the last - or what should have been the last lash - Slifer raised the whip again just as
Mai was getting up and brought it down viciously apon the woman so that she cried out in
surprise and fell forward and hit her nose of the stone floor. More pain. Always so much
pain.

<But I didn't count
wrong! Sly did that on purpose!>

She cringed in case another
one was coming, and when it didn't she got to her feet. Not caring that she was completely
naked in front of the man she hated. When she got up she was far more exposed than when
she'd been sitting down.

But she'd be damned if she
put that bloody dress back on. She hurt all over and felt more trickles of blood down the
backs of her ankles.

Shivering all over, she
leant her side against the wall. Almost proud of herself for enduring most of it in
silence. From now on, she decided - she would fight. She would get through this, and it
didn't matter how many whippings and punishments she received. She was going to be
defiant, she was going to fight Marik for all she was worth. And if she died, she'd die
with honour.

She felt a sparkle of
self-pride at this notion. Something she'd never felt before. She never realised how
fulfilling it was to say that to yourself and really believe it. To know that she was
going to die fighting. And she wasn't just saying it either, she meant every word. Marik
was going to get hell from her.

But her when she turned to
look at Slifer, her heart sank. The girl was standing there with the whip still in her
hands, trailing on the floor. And she was staring up at Mai from under her eyebrows in the
most wicked grimace Mai'd ever seen.

"Get dressed"
Slifer said, grabbing the dress and shoving it at Mai's chest. Making the woman fall
backward into the wall, smashing her injured back against it. She felt blood ooze down as
it squished, and heard the slimy sound it made on contact. It made her feel slightly sick.

When she moved, she heard
her ankle bands jangling against one another. The only thing was allowed to wear on her
feet. She clutched her opaque dress and looked down at it in disgust. She hated the way
everyone could see right through it, and the way Marik's Gurus sneered at her whenever she
walked past.

The purple sash that tied
round it dangled from her fingers, and she stared at it as if it were mildly interesting.
But really she was thinking.

Absent mindedly, she pulled
it back over her head. Ignoring the sharp stabs of pain and the way the back of the dress
turned almost instantly crimson with her blood. She fastened the sash around her waist
once more and looked up at Marik with a blank expression, her blonde hair half hanging in
her eyes, almost as if she were defeated.

No, she wasn't going to be
rash. When she was going to fight, she wasn't going to be stupid and call the Pharaoh
names and rant and rave and try to kill him. That would only get her in trouble and would
give Marik the satisfaction to watch her silent pain as she gritted her teeth and bore it
down as she had this time.

She was going to fight him
in every opportunity she got, but not obviously.

Marik grabbed her wrist
unexpectedly, jerking her out of her thoughts of revenge. She gasped in surprise and tried
automatically to pull away. But Marik, although small in other departments (NO NO! Not those
departments, I meant like his scrawny body you fool! Jesus, how would I know
what the size of his whang is?! Close that dirty mind right now! The rape scenes don't
come till later, thank you very much o_O) had very big hands, though admittedly, he had
beautiful long fingers that should have belonged to a pianist.

And Mai couldn't tug away.
So she went limp once more and turned her expression impassive. The two of them stared
each other down, the blue eyes meshing with his purple ones. Each of them determined to
win the quiet battle of wills.

But Marik had had lots of
practise at this sort of thing, so it was Mai who looked down first. But she didn't mind
that much really. She even gave a secretive smile toward the floor as if she were sharing
something with it. She may have lost now, but she had a serene calmness within her from
finally facing Marik. And the satisfaction that she would no longer bend to his will and
follow orders like a sick dog.

She looked up at Seto, and
saw that he was giving her a faint smile. She knew that he was a bisexual guy, and though
he was really grumpy, he still had his priorities straight. And he was just as dignified
as Yami Yugi and Yugi Moto.

And his loyalty to his
brother was really inspiring. The bond between them was obvious. If Seto didn't do
something right and got himself punished, Mokuba would be right there with him, wincing in
pain as if he himself were being punished.

Mai remembered once when
Mokuba had still been a boy and Slifer had been just two. Mokuba was about thirteen at the
time, and he'd really pissed Marik off by babysitting for Slifer when he hadn't been given
permission. Seto had done everything in his power to change Marik's mind, and had finally
succeeded by taking double the lashings apon himself.

He still bore the scars.

But then, not many of the
Pharaoh's servants didn't have scars all the way down their spines and their necks and
legs. But out of all of them, Seto had the worst. He was a brave guy, Mai'd admit that any
day. The fact that he was a sore loser whenever he occasionally did lose at something
mattered little in the real game of life. And he was one of the few people she respected.
Especially since he was a better monster duellist than her, as much as it hurt her pride
to admit it.

Marik still hadn't let go
of her wrist, but she didn't much care. Her thoughts dwelled on little Yugi, whom she
missed a real lot. She knew that he was probably with Yami Yugi - or rather, Yami Yugi was
using his body (that sounded bad, but just because my mind is dirty, don't have one
yourselves. It is a privilege allowed only to me in this thing)

"You gonna let me go
any time soon?" she whispered to the floor.

He grabbed her bandaged
fingers and squeezed them till she cried out in pain. Only letting go when she'd given him
the satisfaction of showing her agony. She simply couldn't help it. Pain and Mai didn't go
well together.

"Don't speak to me
like that, servant!" he snapped, slapping her across the mouth so that her lip split
sharply and blood trickled down her chin.

"As you wish" she
agreed, turning cunning eyes up to him with a proud lift of her chin. Defiance sparkling
in them and a calm smile playing across her mouth. She looked totally at peace with the
world at the moment. Ignoring the sharp pain in her heart that cried out 'Slifer!'
whenever she tried to think.

Thing was, Slifer was still
standing behind her. The girl had hardy said a word. She seemed lost in thought, standing
there like a female chibi replica of Marik. Her eyes shining with greed and brutality.

Her cheeks were flushed
with triumph. She looked as if she'd just won some sort of victory and was entirely
reformed because of it. And the thought of that sweet child just turning out to be a
branch off Marik made Mai's heart ache, like a real physical pain in her chest. Slifer was
only six. She had hardly any recourses in order to really fight off her father's mental
assault. When Mai thought about it, she realised that she'd been stupid to hope that the
girl would turn out any different.

How could she have? She
stood as much chance of escaping the way she was brought up and her own natural evil
nature about as much as Mai had a chance of being Pharaoh's wife.

"You've had your fun,
let me go now please ... sir ..."

Marik nodded and let go of
her throbbing fingers, "Just remember, Mai, you are no longer the free person you
once were. I am Marik Ishtar, and I now rule the world ... so I can do as I want. Any more
shit from you, and I promise it'll become worse and worse with each time you show me
disrespect or disobey me."

Mai nodded meekly,
"Sir" she conceded

Marik inclined his head,
then walked toward Slifer and grabbed her by her upper arm. For once, the girl didn't
protest but followed her daddy, the grin still hadnt left her lips. She looked like
a toddler who'd just discovered chocolate for the first time and was still relishing the
thought of it.

Marik guided Slifer from
the room, and Mai stared after them both with a vacant expression on her face. It was only
when she looked up at Seto that she blinked and some life came into those disconnected
eyes.

"Ssseto" she
sighed, sinking to her knees and leaning her forehead against the cool wall, looking so
small and helpless and being unable to know what to do. The pain was really starting to
ache now, all along her spine. But she didn't care, she cared about that warped little
girl who'd be beyond help if Mai continued to let her grow up to be a murderous female.

Seto Kaiba laid a hand on
Mai's shoulder, but said nothing. His sapphire eyes were strangely beautiful and wise.
Cynical and callous. But he wasn't so bad really, his ego was just the size of a house
sometimes.

In fact, if he didn't have
to look after Mokuba, he'd have died rather than serve the Pharaoh. He stayed on Marik's
side only because of how much he loved his little brother.

"Seto ... I'm going to
fight" she said in a voice of steel, her eyes sharpening and turning cold and
merciless as Slifer's had been, she put her hands to the wall and pushed her face away
from it, "I'm going to fight"

"I know. I could see
it."

She looked up at him, and
nodded, "But I don't really know how to start, Seto."

"I do"

"How?"

"I can't"

"Why?"

"If I die, Mokuba will
be left all alone. And I'm all he has, Mai"

She considered this,
getting to her feet and almost falling over as her back twanged with agony. She had to put
out a hand to stop herself from falling over, and a small moan escaped her lips. She
didn't mean to make a sound, it just happened.

But she recovered herself
soon, and looked up at Seto, her blonde angled hair hanging in her face so that it was
cast in eerie shadows, "Seto, your brother is seventeen years old. He can look after
himself. Besides, even with you here for him, what kind of life does he have? He has to
serve the Pharaoh and the EP. He'll live, Seto. But then he'll die. And he probably won't
die happy. You know how The Pharaoh is. No one gets together for love anymore. People get
together because he says that they're compatible. And people have to appeal to Matchmakers
before they get married, and the answer is nearly almost no

Besides, Mokuba will have
no life, whether you're there for him or not. So fight for him. And if you die, Mokuba
will know that you gave it everything you had to give him what was rightfully his."

Seto Kaiba's face grew
pained and he turned away, a deep sigh issued from him. Then he turned back to Mai and
said, "I don't know if we can do it alone ..."

"We have no
choice"

"The first thing we
have to do is get The Pharaoh and his daughter free."